Textile-fabric-making machine



June 18, 1929. R. T. MARKEE 1,717,990

TEXTILE FABRIC MAKING MACHINE Filed sept, 17, 1924 s sheets-sheet l June 18, 1929. R. T. MARKEE TEXTILE- FABRIC MAKING MACHINE 3 Sh'ets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 17, 1924 -|NVENTOR:

r IACI'TORNEYS.`

. June 1 8, l929- R. T; MARKEE I 1,717,990

TEXTILE FABRC MAKING MACHINE INVENTOR: M JM,

Patented .lune 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES REUEL T. MARKEE, OF FHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TEXTILE-FABRIC-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed September 17, 1924. Serial No. 738,119.

My invention relates to a new and novel textile machine, and method of making a textile fabric-whereby a fabric is produced which is neither woven nor knitted, but is in the form of a netting composed of a single continuous body thread and a plurality of binding threads, running at substantially a right angle to the body threads and securing the same to each other at certain junctions to form a unitary fabric structure.

My invention further relates to a new and nov-el net fabric making machine including a forming device upon which the fabric is formed or laid out loosely from a single continuous body thread, sewing or looping devices adapted to secure permanently, the temporarily formed fabric, and shearing devices adapted to sever the formed and completed fabric into predetermined suitable lengths according to the particular use of which the fabric is to be put.

My invention relates more particularly to novel means and method of producing an open mesh net fabric adapted to be used for any of the common uses to which netting is put,- and which is particularly adapted for the production of mops and other cleansing appliances of that character; the object moreover, being to produce such a fabric which will be durable, resist-ant to mechanical wear and inexpensive to produce.

With the above ends in view my invention consists of a novel fabric forming device including a forming link belt, a shuttle in proximity to said forming belt and cooperating therewith, a conveyor belt, a series of sewing or looping devices adapted to secure and interlock portions of the adjacent body threads at a plurality of equidistant points or junctions, said conveyor belt adapted to convey the completed fabric from the sewing or looping devices, to a series of shearing devices, and hence to convey the severed pieces of fabric from the machine. f

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shlown in the accompanying drawings a form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since it will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and'organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l represents a front elevation of a fabric making machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents'a vertical section on an enlarged scale of a portion of the forming link belt, of my novel construction.

Fig-ure 3 represents a plan View on an enlarged scale of a portion of the formino` link belt with a section of the formed fabric thereon.

Figure 4t represents a plan view of my novel fabric making machine.

Figure 5 represents a detailed view of a shearing mechanism.

Figure 6 represents a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 representsan end elevation of my novel machine showing the relation of the shuttle, shuttle actuating cam cylinder and the forming link belt.

Figure 8 represents a section on line 8 8 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate two parallel frame members, forming the base or housing for my machine, each frame member consisting of the top and bottom horizontal rails 3 and l respectively, and the front and rear vertical rails 5 and 6 respectively. The frame members 1 and 2 are supported in a vertical position by a number of braces 7 interconnecting the two frame members 1 and 2.

The front end of the machine carries the forming device 8 on a pair of similar brackets 9, secured to the ends of the two frames 1 and 2 respectively. The forming device S consists primarily of an endless link belt 10, preferably of metal, travelling over and supported by a series of sprocket wheels r11, pivotally supported at the top of the brackets 9, and idler wheels 12 pivoted on the frames 1 and 2. The link beltl 10 is composed of a plurality of pairs of parallel link chains 13 and 14, and each chain is composed of a ries of pivotally connected links 15, having on their outer faces forming pins or projections 16 integral therewith or rigidly secured thereto. The links of adjacent chains are staggered with respect to each other, so as to bring the pins 16 of each chain in a staggered relationv to the pins 16 of the adjacent chains. Thus, as the link belt passes over the upper driving sprocket wheels 11, the successive forming pins 16 will separate from each other as shown in Fig. 2 and will close up into the formation, also shown in Fig. 2, on the straight portion of their travel, between the sprocket wheels 11 and the idler wheels 12. The formation of the fabric takes place on the open or curved upper portion of the link belt 10. Accordingly the shuttle mechanism, shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 7 is uXtaposed to this curved portion of the link belt 10 and whereby a body thread 17 is passed back and forth between successive horizontal rows of forming pins 16, as said link belt 10 travels forward intermittently in the direction of the arrow 13 as indicated in Figure 2. The shuttle mechanism consists chiefly of `the shuttle 19, adapted to travel to and fro on the guide rail 20, and actuated by the cam groove 21, in the face of the cam cylinder or spreader roll 22, through the follower roller 23 carried by an arm 24 secured to the shuttle 19. The body thread 17, which is preferably in the form of a substantial cord or twine or other suitable thread, is drawn from any convenient source of supply such as a bobbin or other spool, and is guided unto the forming link belt 10, by the eye 25`carricd by said shuttle.

In order to permit the shuttle 19 to lay the body thread 17 completely across the width of the forming link belt between two transverse rows of forming pins 16, carried by adjacent pairs of link chains 13 and 14, the link belt 10 is given an intermittent movement properly timed with respect tothe movement of the shuttle-19, so as to be moved forward one position while said shuttle is at either one of the extreme ends of its path of travel, and to retain said link ybelt stationary and in the proper relative position with respect to said shuttle, while said shuttle is being moved across the face of said forming belt 10.V Accordingly there is provided on the end of the shaft 26, which carries the sprocket wheels 11, a ratchet wheel 27 by means of which said sprocket wheels are actuated. The rocker arm 28 pivoted at 29 on the extensions 30 of` the Vbrackets 9, carries a pawl 31 pivotally secured to the upper end thereof at 3Q, while the lower end of said rocker arm S23 is constantly under the action of a helical spring 33 tending to withdraw the pawl end 32 of said rocker arm 28 from the ratchet wheel. The shaft 34 carrying the cylinder or spreader wheel 22 is supported in bearings 35 and 36 on the brackets 9, and has secured to the outer end thereof a cam plate 37 having two opposed and equally spaced cam points 38 in operative alignment with the upper end of said rocker arm 28, Thus for every half revolution of the spreader roll 22, the cam plate 37 forces said rocker arm, and hence the pawl 31 towards the ratchet wheel 27, thereby actuating or rotating said ratchet wheel 28, and hence the sprocket wheels 11, the distance of one tooth of said ratchet wheel. The cam plate 37 is so positioned and secured to the shaft 34 that thecam points 38 of said cam plate will actuate the rocker arm 28 at the instant the follower roller 23 of the shuttle is at either one of the eXtreme ends of the cam groove 21.

The action of the shuttle and forming belt is clearly shown in the plan view of Fig. 4, where the body thread 17 is clearly shown, as laid in straight transverse lines by the shuttle, on the curved portion of the forming link belt 10; namely, while the forming pins 16 are separated. Itis also clearly seen in Fig. 4 how the successive pins of the links of adjacent pairs of chains, will form the fabric with successive loops and 'contacting points or junctions, by the close positioning of.` the forming pins on the straight portion of the forming belt.

The second step of my novel method of forming a net fabric is to loop off the temporarily formed fabric from the forming link belt 10 onto a conveyor belt or a series of conveyor belts 39, having a series of conveyor pins 40 on the surface thereof properly spaced so as to lit within the successive loops or meshes ofthe temporarily formed net fabric on the forming link belt 10. Accordingly the conveyor belts 39, also of an endless character, and travelling on a series of driving drums 41 at the fore end of the machine, and on a horizontally aligned idler drum 42, at the rear end of the machine. At the front end of the machine the idler wheels 12, supporting the lower end of the forming link belt 10, are carried loosely on the shaft 43 andalternate with the driving drums 41 which are fixed to the shaft 43, and actuate the conveyor belts 39. The conveyor belts 39 are synchronized with the intermittent movement of the forming belt 10, through a second ratchet wheel 44 secured to the end of the shaft 43, and a pawl rod 45 in operative alignment with said ratchet wheel 44, pivotally carried by an eccentric pin 46 on the cam plate 37 which actuates the forming belt 10. Thus at a point where the straight portion of the forming belt 10 is tangent to the lower curved portion of said belt, the conveyor belts 39 traveling in a direction indicated by the arrow 47, removes the fabric formed -on said forming belt by means of the conveyor pins 40, and conveys the same towards the rear of t-he machine into the path of the sewing devices 48, which may be of any well known construction.

Referring to Figure 4 it will be seen that each of the sewing devices 48 is in alignment with a pair of forming chains of the forming belt 10, thereby sewing pairs of interlocking threads longitudinally of the fabric, and at a right angle to the body threads 17, which interlocking threads, issuing from the respective sewing devices, secure the contiguous portions of the adjacent body-threads at the various junction points. Each of the sewing devices is spaced from the preceding one a certain distance, and each of the sewing devices is driven from a main drive shaft 49, through sets the bevelled gears 50 and 51, and transverse shafts 52.

The main drive shaft 49 may be driven by any suitable means such as a belt 53, in dicated in .dotted lines in Figure 4, passing over the pulley 54. The shaft 34 carrying the shuttle ycam cylinder or spreader roll 22, as

well as the cam plate 37, and the eccentric pin 46, is driven from the main drive shaft 49 through one of the sets of bevelled gears 50 and 51, and the two driving chains and 56, travelling over the driving sprocket wheel 57,

l the driven sprocket wheel58 and the intermediate pair of speed change sprocket wheels 59 and 60, carried by a common hub loosely mounted on the shaft 43.

In order to sever the completed fabric at predetermined intervals, so as to produce pieces of fabric of any desired uniform length, I provide a novel multiple shearing device shown particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 as well as in Fig. 8. Said shearing device consists of two shearing strips 61 and 62 respectively, each having a plurality of equidistant shearing teeth 63 in operative alignment with each other. The fixed or stationary shearing strip 61 is carried rigidly by the two arms 64 and 65 respectively, while the movable shearing strip 62 is held and guided inclose contact with the stationary shearing strip 61, by the U-sha'ped guiding frames 66 and 67 respectively. The arms 64 and 65 are pivoted at their extremities on the shaft 68 carried by the frames of the machine, thus giving the shearing strips a swinging movement about said pivot 68. The shearing strips 61 and 62 are raised into operative alignment with the fabric at suitable intervals by the cam 69 carried by the worm gear 70, said cam 69 acting on an extension of the stationary shearing strip 61. In order to effect a relative lateral movement between the two shearing b strips 61 Vand 62, so as to cause the juxtaposed cutting edges 71 and 72 of the stationary and movable shearing strips 61 and 62 respectively, to approach each other, I provide a cam 73 fixed to the frame of the machine andhaving the cam edge 74, and the follower roller 75 carried by the movable shearing strip 62 in operative alignment with said cam V edge 74. Thus, as the shearing strips are raised so as to bring the teeth 63 thereof into alignmentrwith the fabric, the movable shearing strip, and each of the cutting edges 72 thereof, will move laterally relative to the corresponding 'cutting edges 71 of the stationary shearing strip, thereby severing the longitudinal binding threads of the fabric at predetermined intervals, and hence producing uniform pieces of fabric of the desired length.

In order to guide the movable shearing strip 62 in a straight horizontal line with respect to the stationary shearing strip 61, I provide the elongated guide openings 76 in said movableshearing strip 62, and guide pins 76u carried rigidly by the stationaryshearing strip 61, and extending into the guiding openings 76. Theshearing device is driven, as mentioned above by the cam 69 carried by the wormv gear 70, the worm geary 70 being in turn driven at a relatively slow speed by a worm 77 carried at the end of the main drive shaft 49. While in the drawings only a single cam 69 is shown, the cam 69 may be duplicated on the other side of the machine l through a continuation of the shaft 78, if desirable.

Thus, it Will be seen that by my novel machine and method of producing a textile fabric of the open mesh net type I am enabled to produce a fabric of the character stated which in addition to its numerous structural advantages will be produced at a greatly reduced cost and will be adaptable to any of the uses to which the similar fabrics are put. In the particular use of my fabric; namely, in the manufacture of mops, the severed pieces of fabric are folded in half on a line at a right angle to the body threads and the fabric is secured to a handle, by metallic wires passed through the end loops on each edge of the fabric. The drawings in this case are merely diagrammatic representations of applicants novel textile machine with the working elements represented merely in a diagrammatic way, thoughk it is believed, sufficiently clearly to disclose the ideas involved.

Relative to the formation of the enchaining row of cross stitches or strands, it will be seen upon reference to Figure 3, which is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 4, that if a'rowvof chain stitches were formed immediately adjacent to each of the link belts 13. then the strands 17 would be joined in substantially contiguous relation at intervals, with a free strand of chain stitches bridging the interval. Likewise the juncture or binding points of the adjacent cross strands of enchaining stitches would be staggered. f

The resultant fabric will be in the nature of a network of relatively thick and bulky strands 17 connected by relatively thin rows of cross strands of enchaining stitches, which, when stretched taut, will kshow a substantially diamond shaped formation of, the thread 17, the longitudinal corners of which are connected by parallel rows of enchaining stitches. e

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful textile fabric making machine which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance,- shown and 'described a preferred embodiment thereof which Willgive in practice satisfactory and reliablefresults, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars Without 'departing from the spirit orscope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

`Having thus described -my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a textile fabric making machine, a guiding drum, an endless forming belt adapted to pass over said drum, a shuttle in proximity to said drum adapted to travel substantially parallel to the axis thereof, and to lay a body thread onto said forming belt in substantially parallel lines, retaining and `forming devices on said forming belt adapted to retain the body thread While the same is being laid on the curved portion ofthe belt on the drum, and to form said body threads on the straight portion of said forming belt and means to apply binding threads to said body threads transversely thereof at suitable intervals.

12. In a textile fabric making machine, a forming belt adapted to travel in curved and straight paths, a shuttle in proximity to a curved portion of ,said belt and adapted to travel parallel thereto and-transversely across the Widththereof, retaining and forming devices carriedby said belt, adapted to separate from each other on the curved portion of the beltiand to Aapproach* each other more closely on the straight portion of the belt and a servies of spaced stitching machines arranged in perative alignment with said forming belt. .3. In a textile fabric making machine, an endless forming link belt, adapted to travel in curved and straight paths, a shuttle in proximity to a curved portion of said belt, and adapted to travel parallel to the axis of the curved portion of said belt, and ltransversely thereof, forming pins carried by the outer faces of the links of said formingbelt, adapted to separate on the curved portions and to approach each other closely on the straight portions of said forming belt, means to move `said shuttle back and forth trans-` versely of said belt and means to actuate'said forming belt inV synchronism with the movements of said shuttle.

`4,. In a textile fabric making machine, an endless link belt, composed of parallel chains of links, and adapted to travel in curved and straight paths, a shuttle in proximity to a curved portion of said belt, forming pins carried by said'links, means to move said shuttle transversely across said belt and parallel 5. In a textile fabric making machine,

drums, an endless link belt adapted to travel over said drums, and adapted to travel in substantially straight lines between said drums, saidlink belt being composed of a plurality ,of parallel chains of links, the links of adj acent chains being in staggered relation to each other, forming pins carried by the outer faces of 'said links, a shuttle in proximity to a curved portion of said belt, and adapted to lay the body thread onto said forming belt, meansV to guide said shuttle parallel to said belt and in a path transversely thereof, means to move said shuttle back and forth, means to actuate said forming belt intermittently in synchronism with the movementsV of said shuttle anda series ofspaced stitching machines arranged in operative alignmentwith said link belt and' adapted to apply a series 0f binding threads to said body thread transversely thereof. i i

6. In a textile fabric making machine, drums, an endlesslink belt adapted to travel over said drums and insubst-antially straight lines between sai d drums', said link belt being Composed of a plurality of parallel chains of links, the links of adjacent chainsbeing in staggered relation to each other, forming pins carried by the outer surfaces of sald links, a

shuttle in proximity to a curved portionv of said belt,"and adapted to layfa Continuous body thread onto said forming belt, means to guidesaid shuttleparallel to said belt and in a path transversely thereof, means to move said shuttle back and forth, means to actuatesaid forming belt intermittently in synchronism with the movements of said shuttle, and means to apply binding threads to said lirst laid body threads and to interlock said binding threads with said body threads to form a continuous fabric.

f7. In a textile fabric making machine, a forming belta shuttle in proximity thereto Vandadapted'to lay a body thread onto said forming belt, a conveyor belt adapted to receive said body thread from the forming belt, means to apply binding threads to said body threads transversely thereof, means to actuate 'said forming belt, said conveyor belt and said shuttle in synchronism With each other, and ashearing device extending transversely ofsaid conveyor belt.

REUEL T. MARKER.

llO 

